Geevor Tin Mine

It is as if the walls were echoing once more with the rough tones of miners. As if weary feet were stamping against the bare cement floor, accompanied by the screeching tones of the rising cage. Nowadays, not far from Penzance, the Atlantic flows through the disused galleries of the Geevor tin mine which was closed in 1991. The pithead gear is only a stone’s throw away from the cliffs of the north coast of Cornwall. For centuries tin was mined here in huge quantities. In its final years the underground galleries stretched away for miles beneath the sea. A group of former miners has now brought the everyday life of the mine back to life. The former office buildings now serve as a museum for mining artefacts and tin products – not to speak of the precious minerals which where the brilliant by-products of the heavy underground labour. The Winder House and Compressor House complete with their original equipment bear impressive witness to the technological development of the tin mining industry. The “Dry”, where the miners changed and showered looks as if the next shift is likely to show up at any minute. And a tour through the narrow galleries of this early 19th century mine will take you deep into the past history of local tin mining.

The location is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.